Love Will Strike Again
by Shari Skye
Summary: Monk has always loved only Trudy, but how will he react to Natalie falling for him? Can he fall in love again?


_Disclaimer: I do not own Monk or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit from them._

_This story is kind of an AU beginning with the episode "Mr. Monk Goes to the Bank." It will continue thru the following episodes as well, just kind of adding the Monk/Natalie shipping to each episode. Hope you enjoy._

* * *

><p>Monk was devastated to realize that not only had his bank been robbed by Trudy's bracelet had been taken. It had been her grandmother's and she had worn it all the time. The idea of it being lost to him was excruciating. Determined to solve the case he'd taken a job as temporary security guard at the bank in order to gather information and track down the thief.<p>

When Natalie came to the bank to check on him, she was awe struck at how he looked in the security guard uniform. His shoulders looked broad and square, there just seemed to be something so attractive about him. Although she had to admit to always finding him attractive, but now the feeling was much more acute. "Mr. Monk."

"Hello." He then took a deep breath and stuck his chest out.

"Look at you. A man in uniform, you look great! LOOK AT YOU!" Being a very affectionate person she couldn't help but walk closer and begin to touch him.

"OK," he said in an irritated tone. While he had grown used to her touching him and even secretly had begun to enjoy it, he was not comfortable with public displays of affection or any other kind of touching. Well, at least not from anyone but Trudy, and that had been a while.

"Look – At – You," she said again as she touched his bicep and then patted his chest.

"Natalie, stop it." He was really bristling at her loud compliments.

Natalie realized that she'd really let herself get carried away with the touching so then gave him a soft slug in the arm and said once more and very quickly this time, "Lookatyou," as though it were one word.

"Don't make me shoot you," he replied.

Natalie feeling playful wanted to respond with, _Shoot me with what?_ But she knew that was something her handsome boss could simply not deal with, so instead she asked, "How's it goin?"

She was not prepared for his reply of, "I'm down $400. Do you have any cash? I didn't have a chance to get to the bank."

He so often didn't make sense that she had learned to ignore certain things that he said and move on to the things that she could actually wrap her mind around. "No did you find the accomplice? The inside man?"

Adrian merely shooshed her and motioned for her to follow him to a different spot. As she followed him she watched him walk. It was different than his I'm-examining-a-crime-scene-walk; it was more of a strut, showing off his uniform clad physique. Natalie was admiring it much more that she would like to admit even to herself.

He leaned down to whisper something but, in the true "Adrian Monk style, he was distracted from his mission to tell her what he had learned several times. When he finally did whisper "Maybe" into her ear she shivered.

Feeling him brush against her shoulder as she felt his warm breath on her ear she couldn't help enjoying the feeling so much that she wanted to experience it again. "What?" she whispered.

He leaned in again, "Maybe," he said once more into her ear.

Natalie knew that he was a brilliant man, she also knew that he was dense in matters of romance and physical attraction unless there was physical evidence present, so once more she said, "What?"

Adrian, completely clueless as to her inability to hear or understand him, got much closer so that she could almost feel his mouth moving against her ear and her hair tickled his lips as he spoke. "What's wrong with your hearing Natalie, you really should have that checked. I said, MAYBE."

Natalie was torn between being lost in the feeling of his closeness and humor at the situation. She tried to stifle a little chuckle but failed so quickly went into her question, "Well who is it? Wait, don't tell me, let me figure it out." Anything to get her mind off of him for a minute.

They bantered back and forth about who it could be and finally he had deduced it to Peter Crawly the branch manager, "He's the guy."

Natalie turned to face him then, and was once again overcome by her handsome boss. "You're the guy, look at you. Mr. Monk!" She patted and rubbed up and down on his upper arms.

He still felt uncomfortable with her public display but in a strange sort of way he also enjoyed being the object of her admiration and smiled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later sitting in her car ready to investigate Adrian sat there listing out tools in a bag on his lap. Natalie watched him closely but once more found herself barely able to contain her attraction to him. She reached over and squeezed his bicep. "Mr. Monk have you been working out?"

"Owe. No," what was her problem? Still oblivious to her attraction to him he focused on the tools.

"Do you think they'll let you keep the uniform?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, I don't know." He finally looked down at his attire, still no realizing what was behind her questions.

"You should ask them, it looks good on you." For whatever reason she really wanted to be able to see him in this get up again, after the case was solved. "I used to make Mitch wear his all the time. He'd walk out and he'd look so shiny."

Ok this brought his head up, finally he looked straight at Natalie. What was with her? Was she hitting on him? No... "What are you talking about? Are you bantering?"

She started to giggle then, "Maybe, I don't know. I guess a little." Gosh the man really could be dense for someone who was so incredibly brilliant.

What was wrong with her? They were on a case for god-sake. "I don't banter," he responded irritably. Then he noticed the car, and what was dripping from it, and the moment was over.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Later inside the vault, after they had figured out that every employee was involved in the robbery they were trying to figure out a way to get out. Madge, had cleverly locked them in once she realized that Adrian had solved the mystery of the crime. Being very claustrophobic Adrian had put his head in Natalie's lap for comfort. She was the only thing that could bring him any kind of calm while they were locked inside.

Natalie hated that this sweet man was so tortured and so frequently. Could he never catch a break? It just didn't seem fair that he should have to suffer so much. She leaned down and kissed the back of his head.

He sort of liked the way that she touched his forehead and rubbed his arm, it seemed to bring him comfort even though he usually didn't like to be touched. Her touch seemed to be the one thing that felt even remotely pleasant. When the Captain finally managed to jimmy open the door to the box where the crooked bank employees had stashed the spoils of their thievery, he handed Monk the bracelet. Trudy's bracelet.

Taking the bracelet and feeling the relief of having it back in his possession he sat up with a new hope; or at least a new resolve. He might die in this vault, but at least he had something of Trudy's here with him. He had the object that had adorned her lovely petite wrist day after day for years. As he held it and looked it over he leaned over to Natalie, lifted her arm and laid it against her wrist. Her skin was so like Trudy's. But Natalie's arm was quite a bit smaller. He often thought about how small and petite Natalie was, so why did he always make her carry everything and work so hard?

"That's really beautiful Mr. Monk." She said as he lifted the bracelet back up to stare at.

The captain wasn't sure if he was seeing what he was seeing as he leaned across from where he knelt on the floor. Monk, he friend with all the phobias was touching another person and putting something of Trudy's against her skin. Was this real?

As they all continued to sit in the vault desperation grew. Monk of course remained serene, he was resolved to his demise there in the vault, but Randy and the captain were not. They were trying whatever they could to break into a panel on the wall, hopeful that it had phone lines within. They so shot at the lock without breaking it and tried to scratch at it with a large diamond. Finally the captain came to Monk, "Monk, that bracelet is the right shape. The diamonds might cut through the lock."

Monk simply shook his head. Was the captain really asking him this? "But its..."

"I know, I know. It's Trudy's bracelet. But there might be a phone line in there. It's our only chance." The captain was pleading.

Monk looked up at Natalie, he thought about Julie and how she'd already lost one parent. The thought of Natalie dying inside this stupid vault and not seeing her daughter graduate high school or college, not seeing her get married. He twirled the bracelet in his fingers for a few seconds and then held it out to his former captain. In a defensive act his brought his knees up to his chest, rested his elbows on them and pressed his hands against his eyes so that he wouldn't have to watch his beautiful wife's favorite piece of jewelry be destroyed.

Natalie had been sitting on a table in front of Monk watching the exchange. She'd seen him look at her and had an idea that he was doing this for her. She hopped down from her perch and went to him. She knew that he'd need a distraction from what they were doing with the bracelet. Also, there was something she had to say, in case this was the end and she never had another chance.

"Mr. Monk, come with me." She put her hands out in invitation but he had a hard time focusing as he watched the captain begin to saw away at the lock with the diamond bracelet. "Please?"

He turned to look at her and saw something needy in her eyes. He took her hands and stood. Natalie walked him to the far corner of the vault while the Captain and Randy worked on the lock.

"Mr. Monk, there's something I need to tell you. Something you need to know," she began as she held his hands.

"Right now?" he asked nervously as he tried unsuccessfully to look back at the Captain.

"Yes Mr. Monk, right now. I have to tell you right now."

"OK." He was taking short nervous breaths, still worrying about the precious bracelet.

"Mr. Monk, I love you," she began again.

"I know that Natalie, I love you too," he interrupted.

"No Mr. Monk, you don't understand. I'm in love with you. I've been falling in love with you for a while, I just didn't want to admit it to myself." She took a deep breath. "You have this incredible innocence about you and you're sweet. You're incredibly handsome." She took her hands from his then and placed them against his chest as she continued to look into his eyes. "I just... I wanted you to know now, in case we don't make it out of here, that you're worthy of being loved by someone. I mean besides Trudy, I know she was your one true love, but I wanted you to know that she wasn't the only person that could ever love you that way." Her eyes then began to fill with tears, "I love you so much Mr. Monk, and I'm glad that if we die, at least I get to spend my last hours with you." At that point, she lowered her head and began to cry.

Adrian was stunned. Completely stunned. Had he actually just heard that or was he dreaming. He must be having a dissociative episode like when he was buried alive in the coffin. Ok, so it's a dream, he might as well just go with it. He wrapped his arms around Natalie and held her close to his chest. He felt her small soft frame melt against him. It was strange, new but not awful. He hadn't really held another woman like that, only Trudy. Natalie felt different, but not bad. She felt comfortable. Yeah, yeah this was ok. And when he felt her arms encircle him, he was ok with that too.

Natalie felt his arms as he embraced her. Relief rushed over her and she knew that her tears were coming way too quickly. She needed to stifle them before he felt the moisture through his shirt. She was afraid of him thrusting her from him. She needed him right now. She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around him. She caressed his back feeling the taught muscles while he held her firmly against him.

Captain Stottlemeyer came around the corner and saw his friend standing there with Natalie. He had sort of a blank look on his face but he was holding Natalie. In all the years he had known Adrian Monk he had never seen him embrace another living soul but Trudy, not even his own brother. He'd certainly never hugged Sharona either. He wasn't sure if he should approach him or not, but in the end decided that he should. He had picked up a few broken pieces of the bracelet and now approached with the damaged majority and placed it and the broken off bits into the hand that Monk held out to him as he approached.

The Captain knew better than to make enquiries at that moment and when Monk moved his hand from Natalie's back and held it out to receive Trudy's treasured diamonds, Natalie lifted her head and looked questioningly at the Captain. "Well?"

"There was no phone line but there was a remote to the reader board outside, we've placed a message on it and we should be rescued soon."

"Oh thank God," she exclaimed. She buried her head back in Adrian's chest.

Adrian didn't utter a word, he put the broken pieces of the bracelet into his pocket and put his hand on Natalie's head, rubbing her soft blonde hair and rested his chin on the top of her head.

The Captain unsure of what to do went back to wait with Randy, leaving Monk and Natalie alone in the far hidden corner of the vault. As he approached his partner he said, "Randy, I believe in miracles now."

Randy thought he was talking about finding the remote to the reader board and merely smiled.

They were rescued of course and Monk had been rewarded with two things, his security guard uniform and a new toaster. He'd taken the broken and mangled bracelet to the jeweler's for repair; some parts would have to be completely refashioned while other parts were intact and some needed minor repair. Monk felt it was worth it. He knew he would give the bracelet to Natalie at some point. Not because he loved her. He wasn't sure of his feelings just yet. He would do it to honor Trudy. Trudy wouldn't want her beloved bracelet sitting in some drawer forever. She would want it worn and treasured by someone. He felt if she could she would give it to Natalie. Why? Because Natalie loved him, because she took care of him in Trudy's absence, and because she would treasure it for all of its sentimentality that Trudy did.

Monk wasn't sure of this new feeling, of this revelation with Natalie, but she wasn't pressing him to know how he felt. He didn't want to examine how he felt, but for now, he just wanted to enjoy it like a fun game. Still in denial and disassociating, but it was all he could do for now. He stood in his kitchen with Natalie, he was wearing his security guard uniform and the two of them were cutting small pieces of toast made in the new toaster and feeding them to each other. They were smiling, not kissing, she wasn't touching his uniform even though it was very tempting. There was butter and jam on the toast and if she got the slightest crumb on his uniform he'd change. This was ok, it wasn't roaring passion but it was a step.

He reached out to brush a crumb from the toast off of the corner of her mouth with his thumb. Yes, this was definitely a huge step!

_**The End**_


End file.
